Caring for roses
Whether in traditional cottage gardens or contemporary statement spaces, roses are a long-time favourite used by many gardeners. They add subtle structure, simple elegance and those familiar, vibrant splashes of red, white, orange or pink.
However, keeping roses looking their best isn’t as easy as you might think – despite how widely they’re used. Roses demand constant maintenance and continuous attention. Here are our tips on caring for your roses…
Cutting back
Cut back roses once the autumn season is over – November is usually ideal.
Cut the stems and flowers so the plant is around half the size in a compact shape. This prepares the plant for winter, preventing any damage that frost, snow or wind might cause to otherwise healthy stems.
Pruning
You should prune your roses again following the coldest winter months, just in time for the start of spring, normally around march. Pruning can often be an intriguing subject. If you aren’t sure or have any doubts, we will cover this subject in full sortly. But generally we recommend hard pruning to ensure a compact shape of your roses in the season.
Feeding
Roses benefit hugely from extra nutrition.
The amount of fertiliser you’ll need depends on the size of the plant. But we’d generally recommend adding 1-2 handfuls of fertiliser around the stem. Fork the fertiliser into the soil carefully and water thoroughly – this ensures it’s properly dissolved.
To keep them at their best, feed roses twice a year. We’d recommend once just before the growing season (around March), then again later in the summer (July-August).
Your local garden centre or DIY store can help you choose the best fertiliser for your roses. Make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully before you begin.
Chemical control (spraying)
Think of spraying roses as a disease prevention method, not a treatment.
Chemical control might not always work at treating disease once the plant is infected. Instead, spray your roses regularly once shoots start to grow. Once every fortnight is ideal. Once weekly is fine, too. Ultimately, it depends on how much time you’ve got to spend in the garden.
Deadheading
Deadheading is the removal of spent flowers from a plant.
It is an important task to ensure long-lasting bloom. Roses invest a large amount of energy into flower production followed by seed formation. By elimination of this process, an extra energy will be released into a new healthy growth. Rose flowers only last for a couple of days once they’ve fully opened. Keep on top of deadheading as often as possible. Only remove the spent flowers, even if there is a cluster of buds on a single stem. You should only cut the stem if several buds have passed flowering.
Deadheading
Deadheading is the removal of spent flowers from a plant.
It is an important task to ensure long-lasting bloom. Roses invest a large amount of energy into flower production followed by seed formation. By elimination of this process, an extra energy will be released into a new healthy growth. Rose flowers only last for a couple of days once they’ve fully opened. Keep on top of deadheading as often as possible. Only remove the spent flowers, even if there is a cluster of buds on a single stem. You should only cut the stem if several buds have passed flowering.
Removing diseased leaves
Roses can be prone to many diseases – like black spot, rust or mildew. And, in some cases, regular chemical control doesn’t always work at preventing disease.
Diseased leaves become discoloured. As you deadhead, make sure to remove any of these infected leaves. Don’t wait for them to drop off on their own. The disease on the leaves can spread to other surrounding plants, even after they’ve dropped off. Diseases such as black spot spread in the ground.
Never throw any diseased plant material onto the compost heap – the infection could spread here. Instead, safely burn the material or dispose of it at your local recycling site.
Roses can be a statement feature in any garden. And, if they’re well looked after, they can thrive year after year. Our advice for the best garden? Prepare your ground first, plant well and learn how to care properly for each plant you grow.
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